8 Myths About Passing Drug Tests

By Arianne McManus

Drug tests can be the cause of much concern for employees, whether they are casual or chronic drug users. Your employer does not have the right to mandate what you do outside of work, only what may affect your performance at work, however it can still be scary to consider taking a drug test that you may not pass. This means that many myths exist about how to pass a drug test.

Source: huffingtonpost.com

Drink Plenty of Water

Drinking lots of water can flush your system of some indicators of drug use, however most tests track various indicators (not all of which can be flushed). Creatine which is processed through your blood stream and kidneys after marijuana use will be tested for in drug tests, and low levels brought on by water flushing can raise the alarm for a further drug test to be mandated. For many drugs however drinking water will not affect indicators.

Exercise

As THC, the chemical found in marijuana, is stored in your body’s fat cells, many believe exercising will clear their system. While this is somewhat plausible if you have months before your drug test, it is not an option for those with a drug test in a few days or weeks. However if you used drugs in your spare time, this is not of concern to your employer, in most fields.

Use Diuretics

Diuretics are another way people attempt to flush their system of drugs. They include coffee and tea, but other diuretics are also available at pharmacies and health stores. Unfortunately, much like drinking water, this generally is not enough to clear your system and can raise alarms on your drug test.

Tamper With Your Urine Sample

Direct tampering with the urine sample could be with bleach or other household products. However new urine drug tests are advanced enough to detect these adulterants and a new sample will be required.

Detox Products

Many companies are choosing to take advantage of fear surrounding drug tests by providing ‘detox’ products they claim can help you pass a drug test. While normal urination and exercise can help you get rid of drug traces in the long term, these products are not suitable for short time scales.